It wasn’t long ago when Mono Lake’s unique alkali flies made a splash in the news, and today another iconic Mono Basin animal is making headlines on Science Friday: the California Gull. Beloved by some and unpopular with others, the California Gull is a bird that is sure to generate a reaction—whether it’s of awe of their seasonal migration to inland salt lakes, like Mono, or of irritation because a clever gull once stole your ice cream cone.

Regardless of how you feel about California Gulls, Mono Lake provides a critical nesting habitat for these birds as well as an abundant natural food supply of brine shrimp and alkali flies. In the video posted today on Science Friday’s website, Kristie Nelson, Mono Lake Gull Project manager for Point Blue Conservation Science, discusses her research on this important population of birds at Mono Lake, numbering in the tens of thousands—one of the largest colonies of California Gulls in the world. I hope this video gives you a newfound appreciation for the gulls and Mono Lake.

Registration for the eighteenth annual Mono Basin Bird Chautauqua (June 14–16, 2019) is now open, and there are more than 75 programs with space available, including field trips, presentations, and workshops.

Lazuli Buntings are one of the birds you could spot at this year’s Mono Basin Bird Chautauqua. Photo by Santiago Escruceria.

This year we’ve added several new trips that still have space, including Birding the Lee Vining Creek Trail, Fire by friction, Wing beats around the basin, and Birding Bohler Canyon after the fire. We’re also offering a “big sit” on Saturday and Sunday morning during which the group will sit in one spot with a variety of habitats and identify all the birds that come through. (more…)

Are you planning a getaway to Mono Lake this summer? Now is your chance to reserve your seat on a Mono Lake canoe tour—a must-do summer activity.

Calm mornings water allow for stunning reflections on Mono Lake’s surface. Photo by Bartshe Miller.

See the lake in a completely new way as you float over bubbling springs forming new tufa towers, examine some of the trillions of tiny brine shrimp that inhabit the lake, and experience the peace and tranquility of this wild place. (more…)

Tickets for the Mono Lake Committee’s eighth annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival in Los Angeles are now on sale!

Join us for the Mono Lake Committee’s eighth annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival in either Pasadena or Santa Monica. Still photo from “Escape,” one of the films featured this year.

We hope you’ll be able to join us in March in either Pasadena or Santa Monica. Tickets are $16 for general admission and half-price for students. You can also purchase a benefactor ticket, which (more…)

Update 12/22: A government shutdown is in effect.

Funding for about 25% of the federal government will expire tonight at midnight EST. If a stop-gap spending bill is not passed today, a partial government shutdown will begin and affect a large amount of public land in our area including the Inyo National Forest, Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area, Yosemite National Park, and Bureau of Land Management lands. We have compiled the best current information we can gather. (more…)

This year, to commemorate the Mono Lake Committee’s 40 years of protection, restoration, and education work in the Mono Basin, we created a guestbook for visitors to sign in the Information Center & Bookstore. Visitors from around the world signed their names and shared their favorite Mono Lake moments. In fact, visitors from 21 countries, 24 US states, and 139 different cities signed the guestbook this summer.

Be sure to sign the guestbook and share your favorite Mono Lake moment the next time you’re in Lee Vining.

Reading through each entry, it’s clear how much Mono Lake has made an impact on all who have visited. One visitor wrote about (more…)

Are you interested in learning more about Mono Lake on your next visit? This year we are offering free guided South Tufa tours every Saturday and Sunday at 1:00pm through the winter in partnership with the Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve. It’s easy to reserve your spot online for tours through the end of March using our new, mobile-friendly registration website.

Free guided South Tufa tours will continue through the winter on weekends at 1:00pm. Reserve your spot online today! Photo by Andrew Youssef.

Come explore the enchanting South Tufa area with an expert naturalist to learn more about the (more…)

This Friday, skip the crowds at the stores, unplug from the online shopping frenzy, and instead enjoy a tranquil day outside in the Mono Basin, or wherever you live.

This Black Friday, #OptOutside and enjoy the beautiful sunset. Photo by Nora Livingston.

Right now, fall is giving way to winter—the air is chilly but invigorating, ice fog descends in the basin on cold mornings, the sunsets are spectacular, and Mono Lake’s tributary streams are beginning to freeze. If you’re planning to visit this weekend, pay close attention to the weather and road conditions, as the first winter storm of the season arrived this week. (more…)

In celebration of the Mono Lake Committee’s 40th anniversary, this year for Giving Tuesday, our goal is to raise $4,000 to jump start the next 40 years of our work at Mono Lake.

Beginning today, until midnight on Giving Tuesday (November 27), all donations will be matched, dollar for dollar. With your support, we can do more to ensure the protection of this unique place for future generations.

Here’s how you can help: (more…)

The Mono Lake Committee online store has a wide selection of books and Mono Lake merchandise, but there are some items we don’t carry that you may search for on Amazon.

Bookmark monolake.org/amazon to dedicate 5% of your Amazon purchase to the Mono Lake Committee. You can also dedicate an additional 0.5% of your purchase to the Mono Lake Committee by registering for Amazon Smile.

You may be familiar with the Amazon Smile program, which allows you to designate a charitable organization of your choice to receive 0.5% of the price of your eligible Amazon purchases, but did you know you can have ten times the impact by simply following a special link before shopping on Amazon?

Since the Mono Lake Committee is an Amazon affiliate, visit monolake.org/amazon before adding items to your cart and the Mono Lake Committee will receive 5% of the price of your order as a donation from Amazon. To make it even easier (more…)